Daniel James Brown - Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II

Facing the Mountain arrives at the perfect time, to remind us of the true meaning of patriotism. In Daniel James Browns gifted hands, these overlooked American heroes are getting the glory they deserve. Read this book and know their stories.

Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Lost in Shangri-La

Daniel James Brown brings to life the gripping true story of Japanese Americans whose steely heroism fought Nazism abroad and racism at home. Bound by Japanese values of filial piety, giri (social obligation) and gaman (endurance), and forged in the crucible of brutal combat, these soldiers served the very country that locked their families in American concentration camps for no crime other than looking like the enemy, while camp resisters fought for justice denied.

Lori L. Matsukawa, news anchor, KING-TV, Seattle

The loyal and often heroic service of Japanese American soldiers is one of historys most inspiring responses to bigotry and oppression. Daniel James Brown brilliantly pairs these events in an epic of courage and resistance.

David Laskin, author of The Long Way Home

A must read. You will not be able to put it down.

Scott Oki, former senior vice president, Microsoft; cofounder, Densho

Riveting. Facing the Mountain is a book that is as much about the present as it is about the past. In it are vital lessons about courage, truth, justice, and an abiding love of country. Drawing on impeccable historic research, the narrative movingly shines the light of history on prejudice and discrimination and the unfinished struggle for a more just future.

Ann Burroughs, president and CEO, Japanese American National Museum

A bravura account of the experiences of Japanese American soldiers and their families during WWII.... Drawing from extensive firsthand accounts, Brown interweaves the stories of dozens of Japanese American soldiers with the experiences of their interned families back in the U.S., and tracks legal battles waged by Nisei who refused to sign loyalty oaths or register for the draft because they believed their civil rights had been violated. The result is an illuminating and spirited portrait of courage under fire.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Deep and richly detailed... He chronicles the diversity and tensions within the Japanese American community during that era and tracks all that internment actually involved, including the abrupt loss of property and businesses as well as personal freedom. Brown describes the training and combat record of the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, recounting its bravery and valor in the face of enormous casualties without romanticizing the horrors of war. Brown does an excellent job of illuminating his subjects motivations, including their conceptions of family honor and Bushido.... The result is a compelling and impressively redefining work on an often over-simplified and always consequential subject.... This should be read by all who are pondering the true meaning of patriotism.

Booklist (starred review)

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Foreword copyright 2021 by Thomas K. Ikeda

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Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint the following:

Letters between Chaplain Hiro Higuchi and his wife, Hisako Higuchi, are reprinted with permission of Royce Fukunaga.

Letters from the Saito family are reprinted courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum.

Owing to limitations of space, image credits may be found on .

Maps by Jeffrey L. Ward

library of congress cataloging-in-publication data

Names: Brown, Daniel James, 1951 author.

Title: Facing the mountain: a true story of Japanese American heroes in World War II / Daniel James Brown.

Other titles: True story of Japanese American heroes in World War II

Description: [New York, NY] : Viking, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020053098 (print) | LCCN 2020053099 (ebook) | ISBN 9780525557401 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780525557418 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593299814 (international edition)

Subjects: LCSH: United States. Army. Regimental Combat Team, 442nd. | World War, 19391945CampaignsEurope. | Japanese American soldiersHistory20th century. | World War, 19391945Participation, Japanese American. | World War, 19391945Regimental historiesUnited States.

Classification: LCC D769.31 442nd .B76 2021 (print) | LCC D769.31 442nd (ebook) | DDC 940.54/12730923956dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053098

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053099

Designed by Meighan Cavanaugh, adapted for ebook by Cora Wigen

Cover design: Evan Gaffney

Cover photograph: National Archives / The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images

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To Kats and Rudy and Fred and Gordon

And all those who held aloft the light of liberty

And led us over the mountain

when the darkness came

You know, to me, I felt all the guys who didnt make it, I hope theyre watching from heaven so that they, too, can enjoy and say, Look what we have done.

RUDY TOKIWA

MARCH 24, 2002